Lasagna With Italian Sausage, Ricotta and Spinach

Italian sausage takes the place of traditional ground beef, pork or veal in this quick sauce bolstered with spinach for a fresh take on a classic lasagna. If you like things on the fiery side, sub in spicy sausage for a kick. Oven ready fresh lasagna sheets, often found near the deli section of grocery stores, eliminate the need for a large pot of boiling water and a mess of sticky noodles making this dish a snap any night of the week.

Lasagna With Italian Sausage, Ricotta and Spinach

Louisa Lorang

Italian sausage adds a surprising twist to this dynamic dish. The recipe calls for Pecorino Romano, an aged Italian sheep’s cheese with a sharp, earthy flavour, but you can also use Parmesan.

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Ingredients

• 200 g fresh Italian sausages
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic chopped
• 300 mL canned puréed tomatoes
• 250 g fresh baby spinach
• 1 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 ball mozzarella cheese
• 250 g fresh lasagna sheets
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Squeeze meat out of sausage casings into small lumps and fry them in oil until they get a little colour. Add garlic and fry for 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add tomatoes and bring sauce to a boil; cook over medium heat until sausages are cooked though, about 5 minutes. Fold in spinach; season with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile, mix pecorino and ricotta in bowl. Tear mozzarella into small pieces and fold into ricotta mixture. Season well with salt and pepper.
• Spread some of the tomato sauce in bottom of a baking dish and place a layer of lasagna sheets on top. Pour some of the sauce over sheets; spread some of the ricotta mixture on top. Build layer upon layer all ingredients are used up, finishing with ricotta mixture on top.
• Bake lasagna for about 20 minutes or until golden.

Keyword fresh pasta, lasagna, pasta, ricotta, sausage, sausage lasagna, Spinach, Weeknight Dinner

Tips from ELLE Gourmet Editors

What’s the difference between Pecorino Romano and Parmesan?

Both Pecorino and Parmesan are hard, aged Italian cheeses. The main differences lie in the type of animal milk used and the length of the aging process. Pecorino is made with sheep’s milk and aged for a few months and up to one year. The result is a milky white cheese with a pronounced saltiness and grassy creaminess compared to Parmesan. Parmesan is made with cow’s milk and aged for a minimum of 12 months, up to 3 years. Because of the extra aging, it’s a harder, drier cheese with a complex nutty flavour and the signature ‘crystals’. These a natural result of the aging process in cheesemaking. While the two cheeses can be used interchangeably, there are differences and when possible it’s best to use the cheese recommended in the recipe.

Make 2, Freeze 1

This quick, weeknight lasagna is a meal prepper’s dream. Double, triple, even quadruple the ingredients and make 2, 3 or 4 at a time. To freeze, let them cool completely then wrap securely in aluminium foil. Label and freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, bake,covered,  from frozen at 375°F until the centre registers 165°F, 45 to 70 minutes. For a crisp, golden top, remove the cover during the last 10 minutes of baking.

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